Centrifugal separator for separating liquids, emulsions, and dispersions



July 20, 1937. F. c. e. SCHELBECK 2,087,630

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARA'IOR FOR SEPARATING LIQUIDS, EMULSIONS, AND DISPERSIONS Filed Feb. 20, 1935 Patented July 20, 1937 PATENT OFFICE CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR FOR SEPARAT- ING LIQUIDS, EMULSIONS, AND DISPER- SIONS Frederik Casper Giinther Schelbeck, Copenhagen,.

Denmark Application February 26, 1935, s 2.11 No. 7,452

In Denmark February 26, 1931 2 Claims.

The invention relates toa centrifugal separator ior separating liquids emulsions and dispersions into two or more components and of the type comprising a rotary drum or bowl containing an inset of spaced distributing plates.

It has been proposed to provide a separator of this type with a central device having a ce-n-- tral chamber at its upper end to receive the liquid to be treated, the chamber having substanl ti-ally radial openings and pipes therefrom for the delivery of the liquid to the usual holes in the distributing plates, said central device also having axial outlet passages for the lighter component, the heavier component or skim escap- 3 ing from the circumferential part of the drum treated and the outflow channel for the lighter component are situated at one end of the drum,

while the outflow channel for the other com-' ponent or components of the liquid is situated at the opposite end of the drum, and the separator 2.3 has a central device which has at its upper part a chamber centrally placed for the inlet and distribution of the liquid, this chamber having substantially radial and tangential distributing channels for the distribution of the liquid over an upper distributing plate in the separation chamber and axial outlet channels for the lighter component of the liquid, the lower part of the device being in the form of an inverted bowl-shaped plate which extends into the vicinity of the cir- SI', cumference of the separation chamber and together with the bottom of the drum forms the,

outlet channel for the heavier component of the liquid. The upper distributing plate is spaced from the upper part of the drum and adapted 4.) to form herewith apreliminary-sludge chamber:

,The outlet channels are provided with foampreventing outlet devices.

This enables the separator to be easily dismounted for cleaning purposes, and ensures the 45 necessary tightness between the parts of the drum or the channels for the separated components so as to avoid leakage of the liquid and its components one to the other.

One form of separator according to the in vention is shown in sectional elevation in the accompanying drawing. The separation chamber l is situated ina drum-shaped body, the so-called separator drum,

which consists of two parts 2 and 3 kept together by a nut 4, The part 2 -of the drum has a cenled to it through a tube ll.

tral neck 5 by means of which the separator drum is mounted on the spindle 6 of the separator.

The separator has a centrally placed part 8, which at its lower part fits the neck 5 and at its upper part has a spigot 9 which is fitted in a boring in the part 3 of the drum. The part 8 has at its upper part a central chamber Ill to receive and to distribute the liquid which is The chamber I 0 has substantially radial and tangential distributing channels I2, having their outlets above an upper distributing plate 13 placed in the separation chamber I for the distribution of the liquid. The distributing plate [3 is spaced from the part 3 of the drum so as to form therewith a chamber l4 separated from the separation chamber. The distributing plate I3 and the drum part 3 are shaped in such a way that at its outer circle the chamber M has an extension I5 serving as a receptacle for sludge and any solid particles which may be in the liquid and which are separated from the liquid immediately upon its entrance into the chamber M. This, to a great extent, avoids sludge being deposited on the walls of the separation chamber or on the distributing plates 16. ferential edge of the distributing plate I3 is fitted between the two parts 2 and 3 of the separator drum with or without intermediate packing, whereby a complete and reliable tightening between the separation chamber l and the sludge chamber I5 is obtained.

The upper distributing plate I3 is provided with holes I! through which the liquid is led to the separation chamber I and distributed between the distribution plates 16 for which purpose they are furnished with holes l8, which will co-operate with the holes ll of the upper distribution plate.

Further the holes ll'of the distributing plate l3 are placed in the vicinity of the top of the separation chamber and in the vicinity of the upper end of the part 8 which in addition to the chamber Ill and the distributing channels I! contain axial outlet channels l9. In this way it is obtained that the passage or the lighter component from the distributing channels I2 to the outlet channels I9 is 'made short which has the advantage that the greater and consequently easily and quickly separated particles of the lighter liquid component do not interfere with the free passage of the smaller and more difflcultly gradually separated liquid particles. By making the passage of the lighter component short, there is further less danger of a liquid The circumbeing made homogeneous so that it cannot be separated by centrifuging which for instance as far as milk is concernedmay take-place when the milk has a long passage and consequently is exposed to treatment for a longtime. By the construction above described a' more reliable and more perfect separation of the liquid in its several components is obtained than by the hitherto used centrifugal separators.

The part 8 is at the bottom extended to an inverted bowl-shaped division plate 20, which extends into the vicinity of the circumference of the separation chamber and together with the part 2 of the drum forms an outlet channel 2! for the heavier component of the liquid. By thus constructing the part 8 and the division plate 20 in one piece there is no possibility of a passage or leakage of the lighter component of the liquid from the separation chamber l to the outlet channel 2| or to the distributing channels l2. I The division plate 20 is at its outer edge furnished with a scraping edge 22 which, when the separator drum is dismounted for cleaning, will scrape off any sludge and solid partswhich during the centrifuging may have settled on the drum wall.,

To prevent the liquid components at their outlets from the separator drum being mixed with air and thereby forming foam, the outlet channels may have so far. well-known foamless outlet devices. As shown in the drawing, the foamless delivery device for the lighter component comprises a disc 21 which-ls split or narrowly mixing with the air is prevented. v

Instead of such a device-submerged in the slotted at its circumference and has passages 25 leading into the outlet passages 2| in a stem- 23, the disc 21 being so arranged that it is-constantly submerged in the liquid in the chamber 26, which liquid, on account of the rotation of the separator, is under pressure, whereby the device 28 having through passage channels 29 co-operating with the channels 30 coming from the outlet channel 2|. Further, the said device has a slot 3| which leads into a chamber 33 arranged in the separator holder 32, and is provided with radial or curved vanes 3| which may set up a pressure on the liquid component so as to prevent it mixing with air. The tightening between the separatorholder 32 andjtliedevice 28 is effected by means of packings .31 and 35. The chamber 33 dischargesthrough a tube 36,

and this as well as the device 23 maybe connected by means of pipes to otherapparatus for the further treatment of the liquid components. The pressure produced by these outlet devices.

may thus be utilized to convey the liquid to the other apparatus, so that additional means for 1. In a separator, a drum composed of upperand lower sections detachably connected with each other, said upper section being provided with an inlet for unseparated liquid and with an outlet for the lighter separated componentof the liquid, said lower section being provided with outlet means for the heavier separated componentga removable one-piece distributor plate carrier within said drum, said carrier having a dome-like separating plate extending to the side wall of said drum and directed in the direction of flow, and a central stub integral with and projecting upwardly from said separating plate; the upper end of said central stub being apertured for conducting the unseparated liquid from said unseparated liquid inlet into said upper section of said drum, and being apertured also for conducting the lighter component to said lighter component outlet; said dome-like separating plate being cooperable with the bottom of said drum in forming conducting means leading from the interior of the drum to said heavier? component outlet means; and an upper separating plate closely surrounding the aforesaid'stub between the point at which the unseparated liquid leaves said stub in entering the drum and the point at which the lighter component enters said stub in leaving said drum, the peripheral edge of said upper separating plate being tightly held between said upper and lower drum sections and being spaced from said upper section to provide a chamber to receive sludge and solids preliminarily separated from the incoming liquid, said upper separating plate being provided with passages spaced inwardly from its outer edgefor conducting the sludge-and-solld-free liquid into the subjacent separating chamber, 'said lower separating plate being provided with a scraping edge in contact with the side wall of said drum to scrape any sludge deposits from said side wall as said carrier is upwardly withdrawn from said lower drum section.

2. A separator drum containing a central onepiece upwardly removable body in the upper portion of which are provided inlet channels for the,

liquid to be separated and outlet channels for the separatedlighter component, the lowerportion of said one-piece body being shaped to provide a cup-shaped bottom in the direction of flow of the liquid, said bottom coacting with the bottom of the separator drum in formingoutlet channels for the separated heavier component, said central body being provided with a liquid distributing plate of cup-shaped form 'and pointing in the direction of flow of the liquid, said liquid distributing plate being peripherally connected with the side wall of the drum and cooperating with the top of said drum in forming a sludge space, said liquid distributing plate having an opening spaced inwardly and upwardly from the drum side wall for conducting the incoming liquid in -o the subjacent' portion of the drum without allowing such liquid to affect the aforesaid sludge space, whereby the incoming liquid will not disturb the accumulated sludge in said sludge space.

FREDERIK CASPER GtiN'rHER SCHELBECK. 

